Theft-alarm switch for automobiles



Jan. 5 1926.

C. H. KOLLING ET AL THEFT ALARM SWITCH FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Nov. 10;1923 INVENTOR (/752/65/{75/5020/7? ea; 0 we BY 3 ATN,

Patented Jan. 5,1926.

- umrso j sures PATENT oFFlcs.

CHARLES H. ROLLING AND REINHOLD PB IETZ, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY,A8-=- SIGHOBS OF THBEE-EIGHTHS T OSGAR LA'UCKNEB, 9] HOBOKEN, NEWJERSEY, AND TEBEE-EIGHTHS TO OSCAR A. WEISSENIBOBN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEWJERSEY.

- THEFT-ALARM SWITdH FOB AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed November 10, 1923. Serial Ho. 673,888. a

" tor vehicles and its purpose is to cause the givin of an audible-alarmwhen the motor vehic e with which it is associated is tampered with orstarted by unauthorized persons, the object being to nip rise personswithin hearing of the alarm t at a theft is being perpetrated. s

The vention consists in situating upon a motor. vehicle an audible alarmelement such for example as an electric bell and associate ing with thebell an electrical circuit includv ing devices which, when the vehicleis moved, will'automatically effect the operation of the alarmpelement.The signal op.-

' erating circuit is controlled through one or u moregravitating'members vprefera ly oper- 1 ating afterthe mannerof one ormore pendulums suspended upon diflerent axes and i "Ieach' of-whichcarries at least one contact formin .parts' of the electrical controlcir- 80 cult. he contacts. are normally, spaced apart through thegravitation of the pendu- 1 lums into vertical position, but if the caris started the pendulums will oscillate and in so doing will cause thecontacts to engage and 8b close the operating circuit whereby the bellwill The invention may therefore be said to basedupon the power ofgravity to maintain the contacts in spaced relation so far as the axesof the pendulums are stav tionaryand to close-the circuits when thestability of the pendulums is disturbed through movement of the axesthereof. When two pendulums are-operating as described the contacts'willengage only momen- 5 ta'rily and in order to keep the audible signaloperating after. this operation has been started a relay or maintainingdevice is preferably employed so that when the operating circuit is onceclosed, it will remam closed to keep the alarm "sounding until thesystem is turned ofi by'some authorized per son.

' The alarm and its mechanism are preferably housed within a sealedcasin of sufiicient strength to preclude a thief I'OIIl rendering thesystem inoperative before attempting to steal a car with which it isassociatedso that all of the operating arts are housed and protected.within the c osed casing and tampering therewith precluded,-

An important feature of the present in vention resides .in thesensitiveness of its control, it being impossible to operate the car nomatter how careful the thief may be without causing thegiving of analarm and this despite the fact that the mechanism is unusually simpleand sturdy and will not get out of order.

Features of the invention other than those adverted to will be a parentfrom the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate different practical embodiments ,ofthe invention, but the constructions therein shown are to be understoodas illustrative, only,

and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a system embodying the present invention in diagrammaticform.

Figure 2 shows the form of avity actuated control element illustrated inFigure 1.

' Referrin to the drawings 1 designates the control ing element of thedevice. This controlling element is shown in these figures as embodying,generally speaking, a pendulum' 2 weighted as shown at 3 and-givoted at4 on a link*5 which may be sai to constitute a second endulum'which issusended on a pivot 6 y an insulating bushing 7. The pendulum 5' swingsabout-the pivot 6 and the nduluin 2 also swings about the pivot 6 withthe pendulum. 5 but is aleo capable of oscillation independently on thepivot 4.

om which it is insulated The pendulum 5 carries 'two contacts 8,

while the pendulum 2,. carries two spring contacts '9 which reachupwardly and overlie the contacts 8 but are normally spaced theretacts 9are so adjusted that they no not engage with the contacts 8. Itwill benoted moreover thatthe contacts 9 are insulated with respect to thependulum 2 by insulating strips and bushings. To the pendulum 5 iselectrically connected 9. wire 10 so that the contacts 8 areelectrically connectedto this wire through the pendulum 5. .To thecontacts 9 are connected a wire 11. and it will thus appear that whenthe pendulums are gravitating in raised positions, the-cirpivot 6 and atthe same time will have an independent oscillation on its pivot 4.

As soon however as this occurs, the pendulums 5 and 2 will partake ofdifferent angular relations with respect to one another than theypartake of when in quiescent condition and as soon as this occurs, oneofthe contacts 9 will engage with one of the contacts 8 and if thependulums swing back and forth the contacts 9 will alternately makemomentary connection with the respective contacts-8 so as to alternatelycomplete the circuit of which the wires 10and 11 form a part. I

- Upon the operation of a controlling element such as we have described,the system of the present invention is based, since, manifestly, if thewires 10 and -11 are connected through a suitable source of electricalsup 1y to an alarm and the pivot 6 mounted in xed position on a motorvehicle, it will be apparent that so long as the motor vehicle is atrest the pendulums will maintain quiescent positions and the electricalcircuit referred to will remain broken at the contacts 8 and 9. If,however, any attempt is made to start the vehicle, a sudden forwardimpulse of the vehicle or a letting in of the clutch will cause thependulums to swing about their res ective pivots so that the circuitincluding tlie alarm will be energized and the alarm'sounded. It will benoted however that the car may be left standing either uphill ordownhill or on the level without causin an alarm to be given so lon asthe car is left stationa since the pendu ums will, when the car isrought to rest, gravitate into alinement and assume a state of rest withthecontacts free from one 7 another.

In carrying out the invention in practice I mount the pivot 6 upon, anysuita le support within a casing 12 preferably metallic and sutficientlystrong to form a housing which cannot be readily disrupted or brokeninto andwe include in the circuit of which the lines 10 and 11 form apart suitable mechanism for rendering the circuit opera- V the tive orinoperative and for supplying current for energizing said circuit.

In the form of the invention disclosed, the system is shown asassociated with the ignition circuit of the motor vehicle in which thesystem is installed. 13 designates the storage battery of the carconnected to ground at 14 and also connected by a lead 15 to theignition system of the car.- For example to the cut out switch ordirectly to the distributor or otherwise in accordance with theparticular car in which the device is installed. This part of the systemforms no part of the present invention. The switch 16 shown in Figure 2is the conventional ignition switch whereby the car driver may renderhis ignition circuit operative or inoperative and this switch isconveniently controlled by a key which the driver takes with him when heleaves the car standing with the ignition circuit locked in inoperativecondition.

In accordance with the invention as shown, a wire 17 is led from thewire 15 beyond the switch 16 through an armored cable 18, shown as BXcable to the interior of the box 2 where it connects with a coil 19 of amagnet having a fixed core 20. The other end of the coil is connected bya wire 21 which passes through the conduit 18 to ground 14. So long. asthe ignition switch is closed and the car in operative condition,current from arm'is lifted free from a contact 25 which is mounted at26.

However, if the switch 16 is open and the magnet deenergized, the weightof the switch arm will cause it to gravitate into engagement with thecontact 25 and thus connect the switch arm to ground. The switch arm 23is connected by a wire 27 to one pole of a local battery 28, which inpractice may consist of one or more dry cells.

To the other pole of thebattery is connected the wire 10 previouslydescribed. The wire 11 connects with the wire 29 which leads to onebinding post of an audible alarm 30, either bell, whistle or othersuitable device shown in the drawings as a bell. The other binding postof the alarm device is grounded at 31.

With this arrangement it will be apparent that if the car is left withthe ignition switch lock in open position, any attempt to start the carby causing it to roll down hill under its own momentum or towing a carwill cause pendulums to oscillate in the manner previously described andinasmuch as the switch arm 23 is grounded, as soon as the contacts '9touch the contacts 8. the bell 3O Wlll ring. Since this ringing howeverwill be but momentary, it is desirable to associate locked againstremoval.

with the system maintainingineans to keep it ringing after it starts torlng and to this end, a. maintaining switch 32 1s shunted across thecontrolling pendulums being con-.

nected to the wire 10 by a wire 33 and to the wire 29 by a wire 34terminating in a contact 35. From the wire 34 is tapped a wire 36, whichleads to a magnet 37 grounded at 38. So long as the magnet 37 isdeenergized, the switch arm 32 will fall free from the contact 35, butwhen the magnet 37 is energized. it will shift the switch arm 32 andcomplete the circuit from the battery 28 directly to the wire 29.

As a result of this arrangement, the following operation takes place. Assoon as the pendulums start to oscillate and one of the contacts 9touches one of the contacts 8. a circuit will be established through thebell as previously described, but simultaneously with the establishmentof this circuit, the current will branch througlfwires 34 and 36 throughthe maintaining magnet 37 to ground} at 38. The sooner the magnet isenergized, its armature which is the maintaining switch, will be liftedthereby engaging the contact so that a. circuit will thereupon be set upfrom the battery 28 through the wires 33, maintaining switch 32, wires34 and 29 to the bell, while a part of the current will divide andcontinue to pass through the magnet 37 to ground thereby keeping themaintaining switch closed. As soon as the maintaining switch is closedthe controlling pendulums will be shunted so that even though thecontacts 8 and 9 cease to engage one another, the bell will continue toring notifying persons in the vicinity that the car is being tamperedwith or that an attempt is being made to steal the car.

It is well recognized that thieves become especially perturbed whenaudible alarms are sounded and such being the case the ring ing of thealarm will serve to protect the car against being stolen even more thanthough the car were actually mechanically It may be here noted thatshould the thief attempt to sever either one or both of the wires 21 or17, the switch arm 23 will immediately fall and will condition the alarmfor operation as soon as the car is moved.

in Figure 1 of the drawings, the system is shown as associated with andin a measure controlled by the ignition circuit of the vehicle. 1 wishit understood however that this is for'the purpose of illustration onlyand that instead of connecting the wires 21 and 17 into the ignitioncircuit, they may be made to include battery 13 and also a manuallyoperable switch positioned in some suitable part of the car and adaptedto be opened when the owner leaves the car unaccompanied.

In lieu of the arrangement shown in Figure 1, the magnets 19 and 20 andthe wires 21 and 17 may be entirely omitted and the switch 23 may bepositioned on the outside of the box in any suitable location and bemanually operable. When the car is be,

ing run by an authorized person the switch will be manually opened butwhen the car is to be left standing alone the switch is closed so as toleave the system in a condition to operate automatically and give analarm in the event of attempt at theft.

In practice, the box 12 is made strong and substantial and any attemptof thieves to open or break the box will be thwarted.

Having thusfully described the invention. what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is: 1

1. A circuit closer embodying a rigid link mounted on a relatively fixedpivot and carrying a contact intermediate its ends, a second rigid linkpivoted to and extending below the lower end of the first named link andalso having a contact secured intermediate the ends of said link andextended beyond the pivot of its link to engage the firstnamed contact,said contacts being normally separated when the links are gravitating inquiescent condition, but being, adapted to engage one another andcomplete a circuit in which said contacts are adapted to be includedwhen the quiescence of the rigid links is disturbed.

2. A circuit closer embodying a link pivoted at its upper end to a fixedpivot, a second link pivoted at its upper end to and extending below thelower end of the first named link, a weight associated with the lowerend of the second link. and contacts mounted on both links to contactwith each other between the pivots between the said links and spacedapart when the links are gravitating in quiescent condition, saidcontacts being adapted for engagement with one another to complete acooperating circuit when the relativequiescent condition of the links isdisturbed.

In testimony whereof we have signed the foregoing specification.

CHARLES H. KOLLING. I REIN HOLD PRIETZ.

